Crystal River current. [volume] (Crystal, Colo.) 1886-18??, 1887-06-04
eoLD-FAcED DEAD MEN,
A Scheme That Outrtvals the Num-
mics - Electro-Plating Corpses and
Bantshing Graveyards.


An ingenious Philadelphian has de-
vised process for the preservation Of
bodies which will cause blush of envy
and modification to mantle the wrink-
led cheeks OF the most ancient mummy
the tombs of Egypt can produce. By
this new method future generations
may have the pleasure Of gazing upon
their ancestry in close resemblance of
their natural form. with shape and out
line carefully preserved and the whole
body beautified beyond the utmost pos
sibilities of nature. No more will DE-
parted friends and relatives be treasured
up as bundles of rags and bones or as
pinches of ashes in cinerary urns, but
in the full form and size of their ante
mortem existence. The means by
which this wonderful transformation is
to be accomplished is but a few appli-
cations of an old principle long in use
in mechanic arts. 1t is IMPLY the old
and familiar process of electro plating,
which furnishes modern households
with so many articles of ornament and
utility.
The method of its application in the
preservation of podies is as follows=
The corpse is first thoroughly washed
with alcohol or with a solution of
costic potash, followed by very dilute
nitric acid, in order to cleanse the body
and remove all traces of oily or greasy
exudations. Then the entire surface
of the body. from which all hair must
be entirely removed, is busted over
with finely powdered plumbago. care
being taken to cover every portion OF
the surface. As the purpose Of the
pumbago is to furnish conducting
surface. any uncovered spot upon the
corpse would cause break in the plat
ing. The Africanized remnant of hui
mainly is then immersed in bath OF
metal C solution containing a lump of
the metal with which it is desired to
coat the body. 10 the piece of metal
is attached the positive pole of a strong
galyanic battery or a powerful dynamo
electric machine, and the negative pole
is connected with the body. The ac-
ton of the powerful current of electric
ity Immediately commences, covering
the body with Il fine film of the metal,
which is deposited evenly over the en-
tire surface. As long as the electric
current is uninterrupted the deposit of
the metal continues, and the coating =.
may thus be made of any desired thick
ness. In a length of time proportion
ell to the strength of the electric cur
rent the entire body may be enveloped
in a metallic shroud an eight or a quar-
ter of an inch in thickness. or even
more if desired. BY this impervious
coat the remains are thus perfectly pro-
tected from decay, and may be preserv-
ed for an indetinate number of years.
Outside of its advantages as method
of preserving remains this process has
great commercial and artistic value.
The morgues OF the various large cities
would furnish an ample supply of ma
terial which might easily be worked up
into nickle-plated dummies for use by
by clothers or dry goods merchants in
displaying garments and dress goods.
With limb and body arranged in grace
full postures an unclaimed body could
readily be transformed into valuable
work of art. Dying gladiators, wrest-
lers ard Greek and Roman figures
could be produced in unlimited num-
bers. Thus the unknown suicide and
bodies tished from ponds and rivers
could find final resting-placcs in art
museums or fashionable parlors in
stead of being cut and sawed asunder
by the ambitious medical student.
One can readily imagine the feelings
dred years hence would lead his visitor
into his mortuary chamber and point
out each member of his silver-plated
ancestry, beautifully polished and nat
urally grouped about the room. There
would be in those days no need for All
expensive burial lot in a fashionable
cemetery. and there would be no use for
the costly and ostentaious funeral OF
to-day In those days the undertaken
would simply be an expert electro
platter, and instead of u rOomful of SAM
pie collins and baskets he would simply
exhibit q few peices of polished metal
and inquire OF his customer. How
would you like to have the deceasd fin
shed. in copper, nickel, silver or gold?"
To the man of the future who has
q taste for art and antiques, this pro-
cess offers great possibilities. Ances-
tors plated with silver or nickel would be
far more artistic ornaments than the
rusty and ancient suits of armor which
are SO highly priced in these days. ARM
ed with lance and shield, a grandfather
thus prepared would furnish a valuable
addition to any collection of antiques
and bric-a-brac. Beautiful effects could
he produced by plating bodies with
copper. which. by atmospheric action,
soon assumes the appearance of
beautiful bronze. By the use of plush
OF velvet. these bronzes could easily
be mounted after the fashion of to-day.
A copper-covered relative. we'll finish
ed and polished, might be exhibited as
an excellent specimen of repousse work.
The use of gold would produce piece
of preserved pedigree more valuable:
more novel and far more beautiful !
than the famous gold-faced mummies
which contain all that was mortal of
the Pharaohs of Egypt.
These are but few examples OF
what may be done by this new preser-
vative process, which is capable OF de-
velopment to an unlimited extent
Philadelphia Record.